A multiple language capability in computer-based products offers numerous advantages with regard to product marketability in the international sector. For example, a single version of a computer-based system which could provide visual presentations of text-based information (e.g., system commands, messages, etc.) in multiple languages could be sold in many different countries. This capability would be particularly valuable in the telecommunications industry where vendors need to keep product modifications to a minimum for communications systems that are used in many different countries.
Personal computer-based (PC-based) attendant consoles for communications switching systems are particularly well-suited for a multiple language capability because of the nature and extent of the human interface requirements. In its most generic form, the PC-based attendant console includes a PC connected to a digital communications protocol (DCP) device, such as a DCP telephone made by Lucent Technologies, Inc., which is connected via an adapter to a communications switching system under control. Application software for the console is often written for any number of operating system environments, one of the most common today being the Windows.sup..RTM. operating environment. An attendant (also referred to as an operator) or a system administrator provides attendant support to the switching system using the DCP device (e.g., DCP telephone) for the voice-based functions in addition to using the console application software running on the PC platform for performing other required attendant functions. With the increased demand for communications systems in developing countries, companies would derive significant benefits by including a multiple language capability in the PC-based attendant console that accompanies the communications system. For example, the DEFINITY.TM. Communications System by Lucent Technologies, Inc. is one such system that would benefit from using such a PC-based attendant console. However, such a system has not yet been provided.
Some attempts have been made to incorporate a multiple language capability in PC-based applications, but most of these are complex or cumbersome solutions which cannot be easily implemented in a communications switching system environment. One of the more common implementations of a multiple language capability is a look-up approach in which the system retrieves stored language elements from a master database or dictionary. In the telecommunications field, voice messaging systems typically use the look-up approach implemented with several language specific databases, a system database, and a processor. Generally, the processor translates an identifier included in each message announcement to a set of rules (e.g., for sentence construction) which are stored in the system database. The rules associated with the desired language are then used to determine the set of language specific voice fragments to retrieve from the particular language specific database for playback to the user. Using this approach requires a separate language specific database for each desired language and a corresponding set of rules stored in the system database. Consequently, this type of system does not provide the capability to dynamically change or add new languages in an expedient manner. Moreover, these systems do not efficiently accommodate slight variations to existing standard languages which would prove helpful for creating dialects of a particular language without the overhead associated with adding a completely new language.
Some systems provide visual presentations of text-based commands and messages in multiple languages by performing the language translation outside of the target application. However, this approach requires an extensive master database and a complex set of procedures for learning and running the desired language. Moreover, these types of systems are generally only suitable for the large inventory, off-the-shelf software applications which use system commands that are directly compatible with the operating environment (e.g., WINDOWS.sup..RTM.). As a result, these systems suffer the disadvantage of not being able to adequately intercept embedded text strings that are unique to a specific target application. As an example, a PC-based attendant console application includes many embedded text strings that could not be intercepted by these types of multiple language systems.
In most of the prior art multiple language systems, users are given a very limited set of standard languages from which to choose. Moreover, users cannot easily and readily create their own custom language or modify existing, standard languages. These systems also restrict users by generally providing only one opportunity prior to a login session to select a language. As a result, users of existing multiple language systems cannot dynamically and repeatedly change the interface language. The prior art systems and methods are also noted for not accommodating simultaneous multiple users using several different languages (e.g., each login session conducted in a different language).
Accordingly, there is a need for a multiple language system which can be used for PC-based consoles and which overcomes the shortcomings of the prior art systems.